Gun of Ashes

Lorenzo swung his sword again, slicing away at the proliferating flesh. Strangely, every piece of flesh severed by Lorenzo would soon be slowly devoured by the Demon, and the severed limbs would reattach, as if reusing waste.

Demonization takes time, even a Demon Hunter needs some preparation time to completely demonize. Before it completely loses control, it can still be killed.

”Did you think we hadn’t considered it? Its demonization is incredibly fast. By the time we’ve summoned heavy firepower, it can already rely on self-healing to withstand the damage. And haven’t you noticed? Lorenzo, its demonization isn’t stopping at all!”

Arthur roared.

Accompanying the roar was a childlike scream, and this time several arms emerged from the twisted flesh, dripping with viscous liquid and wielding sharp claws.

Only then did Lorenzo realize the terror of it. Unlike the initial appearance of the Demon, in just a short time of combat, it had already swelled several times, yet this was not the end.

”So what do you plan to do? Blow up this level? But we’re underground!”

Lorenzo questioned. The narrow passageway offered him no space to dodge as he stepped back and swung his Nail Sword. Yet, several attacks still struck Lorenzo, causing dazzling sparks on his sturdy Armor.

”What to do? Of course, execute on the spot, that’s how we’ve always done it!”

Arthur yelled, but this time there were two voices, one from the communicator and one coming from the steam-filled passageway behind Lorenzo.

”Get out of the way, Lorenzo!”

Arthur’s figure charged out of the mist, dragging the heavy Triple Fire Gun in his hand.

The high-pressure gas detonated instantly, propelling the solid Electric Spears that quickly pierced through the mist, hitting the bloated flesh.

This weapon was originally designed to counter Armor of Original Sin, with its sturdy spears jamming armor joints, and the disrupting electrical current interfering with mechanical functions. But against the Demon, this weapon was essentially an Electric Iron Spear. Arthur wasn’t sure if it would be effective, as it was one of his few available weapons.

The speeding steel pierced through the twisted arm, but soon the Iron Spear began to bend. The extreme temperature within the flesh melted it in just over ten seconds. The fractured steel fell, and the Demon screamed.

”Damn thing!”

Arthur cursed angrily.

”We need to lure this thing into an open area.”

Lorenzo continued with his plan, feeling a bit pleased upon seeing Arthur.

”I thought someone like you would be hiding in some safe house, directing remotely... I didn’t expect you’d be on the front lines, and without any support!”

Looking at the solitary Arthur, Lorenzo’s words were either a compliment or sarcasm.

”If I could, I’d really rather be hiding in some safe house.”

Arthur said bluntly, discarding the Triple Gun in his hand. It was effectively a one-time weapon due to the cumbersome reloading process.

After the Demon lost control, the first thing Arthur did was to cover Merlin’s escape. The Purification Mechanism hadn’t completely abandoned Alchemy yet, and if Merlin died, there would be a significant technological gap in the Purification Mechanism.

Merlin’s life was far more valuable than Arthur’s. During Merlin’s escape, security forces were overwhelmed by the demon, and Arthur managed to send Merlin out of the lockdown zone at the last moment. He couldn’t leave because he delayed the demon, attracting its attention.

”An open area? Head to Containment Chamber Four!”

The entire map of the containment zone spun in Arthur’s mind, and soon he found a suitable location for battle, right where the Demon had broken out.

”We need to take a detour, can’t let the demon head to Containment Chamber One.”

”Are there demons in there that can’t be let loose too?”

Lorenzo asked.

The most dangerous point of containing demons is, once one breaks free and wreaks havoc, it could lead to other demons escaping too. If handled too late, even the humans fighting them could be corrupted into demons themselves.

”No, it’s the people who didn’t manage to escape the lockdown. We lost a lot of people fighting this cursed thing.”

That was where Arthur had been before, with survivors hiding in Containment Chamber One, awaiting reinforcement, but they didn’t expect Lorenzo to arrive.

”Then you better run fast, this demon is far more deadly than you realize.”

Lorenzo warned, as the rising temperature was the most lethal weapon. Ordinary people would faint from the hot air just by approaching, let alone the mental erosion.

”Follow me... Careful!”

Arthur was about to lead Lorenzo to Containment Chamber Four when the Demon, moving sluggishly, suddenly accelerated.

Lorenzo noticed this abnormality naturally. He turned and swung his Nail Sword, facing the claws extending towards him. Arthur leapt aside to dodge the attack. Although a product of the Ranger plan, Arthur was essentially just a strong ordinary human, not a Secret Blood-powered monster like Lorenzo.

”Damn it!”

Arthur couldn’t help cursing. The temperature of the water on the ground was incredibly high, turning the place into a furnace from god knows when.

”Stay back, Arthur!”

The clang of metal sounded behind him as Lorenzo slashed several more arms. Yet, under that terrifying vitality, the Demon was still proliferating endlessly, seemingly without end.

”So... hungry!”

The childlike voice rang out again, followed by a gaping maw splitting open on the flesh, its remaining arms grabbing the flesh Lorenzo had cut off and feeding it into the crimson maw with a crackling noise.

Lorenzo was utterly horrified, he had never seen such a Demon.

More claws swung over, but luckily, due to the narrow space, the attack trajectories of the Demon were easily predicted. Coupled with the protection of his Armor, Lorenzo could still barely contend with it.

Perhaps because the battle demanded all his attention, he didn’t notice that the surrounding metal had begun to redden, the water beneath his feet was boiling, turning into steaming hot vapor that filled the air.

The light became diffused in the mist. Though the distance to Lorenzo wasn’t far, he could now only see a vague shadow. The rising steam had blocked most of his vision.

”What terrifying power...”

Arthur couldn’t help but sigh, not just in fear of the Demon, but also of Lorenzo.

Now, the air temperature had reached an extremely severe level. Even for Arthur, who underwent the Ranger plan, breathing felt like his throat was being scorched. Coupled with the pervasive high-temperature steam, staying conscious was a challenging task, yet this Demon Hunter could still fight.

Each strike was incredibly precise, and he even had some energy to spare.

Lorenzo himself was utterly unaware of this, as the current temperature was still within an acceptable range. During his battle with Ed, Michael’s Purifying Flame burning everything scared him.

The Demon Hunter was still seeking a lethal strike opportunity. Now, with this proliferating flesh, the Nail Sword could no longer kill it. Even if he managed to stab through, Lorenzo couldn’t ensure he could penetrate the layers of flesh to hit the heart. His trump card was now entrusted to Winchester.

After the encounter with Dean Lawrence, Lorenzo had personally crafted two special Holy Silver Bullets. Unlike ordinary Holy Silver-coated Deer Bullets, these were singular bullets made entirely of Holy Silver. The pure Holy Silver would carry massive kinetic energy to penetrate the flesh, assuming Lorenzo could find the fatal spot.

He only had two chances.

”Then come on!”

Lorenzo suddenly shed his Armor, exposing his skin directly to the high-temperature steam. The burning sensation cut across his nerves, but he didn’t mind, instead raising his Nail Sword and cutting a gash on his wrist.

Blood dripped down, bringing with it an eerie agitation.

The Demon craved food, so why not use food to lure it? It smelled the scent of blood and let out an excited sound. Its bloated body writhed like a worm in the passageway, moving noticeably faster than before.

A bizarre laugh echoed, like that of an innocent child, but horrifyingly, the sound originated from that fearsome flesh.